I want to do pre-med and become a surgeon one day.
I got a full ride at Vassar (only paying $1k each year), but the USC package isn’t too bad either ($12k a year).
I love almost everything about Vassar - it’s my perfect fit. The only problem is that I am still unsure about the pre-med track and science facilities/research opportunities at Vassar. I know USC is really competitive about pre-med and has great research and pre-med courses, and that Vassar’s science courses are more laidback and less rigorous.
I love Vassar, but will it stop me from getting a good pre-med education?
Pick Vassar. It will provide an adequate pre-med education. You can get into the top medical schools if you take advantage of all your resources and opportunities. Good luck! I see no good reason to turn down Vassar in this case.
So I am feeling feisty tonight and will say you should go to USC. Based on your question it is clear that you don’t want ‘adequate’ or ‘laid-back’ or ‘less rigorous’- you want great. Thus, it looks as though you will be happier in the more competitive environment of USC.
phospholipase, thank you for your advice! you seem like you understand the process. Do you know if medical schools care about the rigor of the school’s pre-med track? for example, if i go to vassar and do well in the pre-med track versus doing well in the usc pre-med track, would they value my merits at usc over vassar?
Well Ive been through the medical school and graduate school admissions processes separately and combined so I should know pretty well
Medical school admissions committees will pay attention to your rigor (lots of challenging upper division/graduate-level courses), but the most important part is a high GPA and high MCAT. Where the GPA came from is less (almost not at all) important–unless it came from a community college or online school. They absolutely prefer 4-year college over community college or online classes. To clarify, take the classes at Vassar or USC that will challenge you and give you good depth. It is not important if you went to Vassar or USC, it is important that you pushed yourself while in college.
collegemom3717, thank you for your input, i really appreciate it! i do want a high-caliber pre-med education, but do you think that a competitive environment such as the one at usc would actually decrease my chances at getting into med school? i’m wary of the fact that usc “weeds out” students in pre-med through cutthroat classes and many kids end up dropping the pre-med track entirely. wouldn’t i have a better shot at med school if i excelled in the less rigorous pre-med track at vassar?
@sunnwaves, what is the basis for your evaluation of the academics / science courses / “pre-med” preparation at USC v Vassar? In other words, what elements of each school led you to your evaluation of each?
I’m really unclear why Vassar is painted as less rigorous for premed, where is that proven? Less weeder, sure. @sunnwaves, since you are new, maybe you haven’t found the premed forums, why don’t you do some reading there?
Even though I went to USC for grad school, if one of my kids was interested in pre-med and had to choose between Vassar and USC, I might encourage them to go to Vassar.
We used to live about 45 minutes north of Vassar, and I’m a big fan of small colleges like that for an undergraduate education, since they focus so much on teaching. (I went to an undergraduate school of only 3000 students after transferring from a big state flagship, and the difference between teaching quality was huge. Light-years better at the smaller school.) Even though you’ll get more personalized attention at USC than you will at a big state school, you’ll get even more personalized attention, and have fewer distractions, at Vassar.
Unless the OP gives more info on how she came to her view on the relative strengths of USC v Vassar, I’m still thinking that the OP is more suited for USC. She clearly sees Vassar as “less” than USC - so much “less” that she doubts that even an $11k -per year! - OOP difference in price tag makes up for it.
The emphasis that the OP places on the desire to be in the more competitive place, her emphasis that college is a mechanism for getting into med school suggest that she might not actually like the Vassar experience.
I’m a USC grad too. I bleed Cardinal & Gold and it was my hope that our D would follow my footsteps to SC. And then she visited Vassar.
I can’t comment on premed but I can comment on USC from my experience from the stone age. USC is an amazing place with tons of school spirit. But it’s definitely competitive. You are keenly aware of how you are doing compared to other students. It’s not as collaborative as a school like Vassar.
Vassar is a special place. Our D has been to all of the accepted student overnights and weekenders. The feeling of caring and support for each other is pervasive.
And then there’s the money. Both schools cost about $60k a year for tuition, room and board. If USC costs “only” $11k a year, that is a heck of a bargain. But if Vassar is basically free, that’s impossible to beat.
Our daughter was blessed to be accepted and she starts in the fall. We couldn’t be happier!
I would never tell anyone NOT to go to my alma mater. I’ll just say that my D is thrilled and every time I have visited the campus and listened to the professors or students, it’s reinforced she made the right decision.
I’ll still hold out hope that USC grad school is in her future.
